Stoystown council gains local business leader

MATTHEW TOTH mtoth@dailyamerican.comMarch 6, 2019

Stoystown Borough Council selected a local business woman to fill the latest vacancy on the seven-member board.

Council members voted for Mary Stotler, owner of the Mayapple Marketplace along Main Street, to fill the seat of former council member Rachel Muchesko Tuesday. Muchesko’s resignation letter was accepted in May. She stated in the letter that she was leaving because of personal reasons.

Stotler said she has a lot of background in municipal government. She said she’d like to find ways to receive community input and know what borough residents “want to do moving forward.”

“I really love this community, and I would be happy to be in a position to see it move forward,” she said.

Stotler was the only individual attending the meeting to show interest in filling the post. Council members had 30 days after accepting Muchesko’s letter of resignation to appoint a new council member.

“If we don’t do it tonight, we are pretty well stuck,” council President Colleen Dawson said during the meeting.

Muchesko was appointed in November 2017 to fulfill a two-year term after former council member Tegan Veres resigned in October 2017.

Veres was charged with stealing $2,700 from the borough, and in June 2018 was accepted into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program for 18 months. Veres paid the money back to the borough.

Council members said Stolter will serve until the end of this year and will need to run for election if she wishes to serve after 2019.

“We’ve had numerous people over the last few years,” Dawson said.

In November, council member Kelly Weigle submitted her letter of resignation to borough officials. Council members appointed Barry Boyer, who will serve until the end of 2019 but will need to run again to fulfill Weigle’s full term.

The borough also has two council members, David Johnson and Jeffrey Zimmerman, who will be seeking re-election in 2019.

“It will be three four-year and one two-year term in the upcoming elections,” borough secretary Carol Perigo said in May.

Stotler told the council during the meeting she’s not sure if she will run after her term expires.